1909 Army 45

[Good Cheer]

Anyone have boolit loads that they've worked up in the Model 1909?

[nicholst55]

I used to own a very well used Colt New Service in .45 Colt, and I stuck to pretty much Colt SAA load data. I shot a lot of 200 grain SWCs and 250-ish SWCs over 8.0 and 8.5 grains of (old) Unique. The 250 SWC over 8.5 grains of (old) Unique shot to the sights, so I reckon it was pretty much a factory load equivalent. Wish I still had that old gun, even with one bulged chamber, it was a sweet shooter!

[rintinglen]

In a New Service I loaded 8.3 Grains of Herco under the Lyman454-190 with indifferent results. that gun didn't seem to want to shoot very straight, so it went down the highway.

[oldhickory]

Mine is a commercial New Service with a 7.5" tube, .45 Colt made in 1904. Even though larger than the SAA, I still respect it's age and keep pressures low by using either 200gr. swc, or 230gr. swaged boolits with moderate charges of Unique, Red Dot, Bullseye, or W231, (I've never used Trail Boss, but it should work well too). Stay under 14,000 P.S.I. (using Lyman's 4th. edition Cast Bullet handbook).

First measure/slug your cylinder throats, I found mine to be on the small side for a .45 Colt and size to .452" same as my 1911A1. Also, I cast soft for the old girl, (straight ww) using a Lyman 453640 200gr. swc mold. I do get a little leading just forward of the forcing cone after 100, of so rds, but it's very little and easy to remove.

Again, stay under 14,000 P.S.I. but mine shoots to point of aim at 25yds with the upper end of the standard pressure loads, 9.5gr. of Unique shoots accurately to point of aim in my gun while keeping pressure under 13,000 P.S.I.

Don't hot-rod it, there's no sense in ruining one of the finest revolvers Colt ever made for want of a little more power. These old Colts are sighted for 50yds. and to shoot to point of aim at 25 I use a light boolit at around 900-100fps keeping presures at Pre-War SAA levels.

http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/1596/coltnayah014.th.jpg (http://img100.imageshack.us/i/coltnayah014.jpg/)

[Grapeshot]

I have a M1909, US Army Marked and it is a shooter. It is in the GS now getting the timing readjusted but the loads I have been using are as follows.

Lee .45-250-RNFP, RCBS .45-255-RNFP, Lyman 454190, and the Lyman 452664 .5-250-RNFP, all with 8 grains of Unique or 6 grains of either Trailboss or Red Dot.

All give good accuracy when sized to .454. I will be trying some of the Lee bullets after they are modified to a Hollow Based RN by running them thru my Cornin Swage Dies. Once the weather gets warmer I will be back out in the shed and getting these bullets made.

This revolver also shoots the 250 Grain Ranier Plated Bullets very well over 8 grains of Unique.

[Good Cheer]

Hey Grapeshot.
Have you miked the chamber throats? Mine are just under .456".
And, what do the entrance into the throats look like? Any taper?